Sunday, September 30, 2012

San Jose Street Sighting - 1962 Dodge W200 Power Wagon Town Wagon

One of the things I've always liked about postwar Dodge trucks is that they look like they mean business. They just have a tough overall appearance that says, "I'm here to work hard and don't even think of messing with me". Such is the case with the Power Wagon. Even the name evokes a badass work truck. The name dates back to the end of World War II when Dodge developed a civilian version of its M37 military truck. The original Power Wagon was almost medieval in its design by the time it was dropped after the 1968 model year, what with its 1940s cab, separate fenders and exposed radiator cap, but it was still a brutally effective 4x4 truck. The Power Wagon name spread to other 4WD Dodge trucks, including this W200 Power Wagon Town Wagon. The Town Wagon was a carryall, basically a proto-SUV. It was also available as the Town Panel, a delivery van-type vehicle with no side windows made for hauling cargo.

The Power Wagons didn't seem to get redesigned very often, as seen by this early 1960s model which wears front sheetmetal from 1958. The rest of the body dates to 1954. Only small trim changes were made to the body, with the rest of the improvements made to the dash and the chassis. Town Wagons were dropped following the 1966 model year. This truck is an ex-Navy vehicle and wears a custom heavy-duty bumper with a winch (winches were available from the factory but the bumper isn't stock). According to information I found on a web forum, this example is a 1962 model with amber turn signals from a '63. If the information is to be believed, this one came with a 318 V8 which was replaced at a later date by a 360. The crazy thing is, when the info was posted back in 2010, the truck only had 22,000 original miles. Not too shabby. Throw some new paint on it and fix the windows so they keep out water and it'll be pretty awesome. The owner appears to be restoring an M35 troop transport truck in his driveway so fixing this one should be a cake walk.

Portal to All California Street Sightings Here

What is California Streets?

California Streets is a blog that celebrates the history of the automobile in California. We feature old, interesting and often rare cars and trucks found parked on public streets and roads around the state of California.

About Me

I'm a delivery driver by trade, but I'm also a freelance artist and hobby photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area with a healthy interest in cars. I love finding and documenting fascinating old vehicles wherever I go.